Following last year’s pandemic-related pause, LEAF Downtown returns to Asheville for its sixth annual gathering.
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Following last year’s pandemic-related pause, LEAF Downtown returns to Asheville for its sixth annual gathering.
The band’s live shows remain full of engaging energy and excitement. Speech and his group have a long relationship with Asheville audiences: Arrested Development played the LEAF Festival in 2009 and has appeared multiple time at The Orange Peel.
LEAF Performing Arts Director Ehren Cruz emphasizes the nonprofit’s 24-year legacy of “youth educational outreach, equity and diversity programming.” He says that the festival “features cross-over world-, family- and urban-accessible programming while celebrating local culture.”
True to LEAF’s mission of inclusivity, a diverse slate of performers play Pack Square Park Friday and Saturday, Aug. 4 and 5.
LEAF Downtown, which returns on Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31, has a decidedly local focus.
“Surely some restrictions need to be enacted to prevent these invasions of privacy and intimidation tactics [by drones].”
“Overall, I’m extremely grateful for the phenomenally positive energy, cultural enrichment and platform for our great community that LEAF [Community Arts] brought to downtown [on the Aug. 1-2] weekend.”
The free LEAF Downtown AVL festival, held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2, features high-profile performers like Bootsy Collins’ Rubber Band and Red Baraat. There are also many local acts and a focus on area communities and initiatives.
Walking the streets of downtown Asheville can be a musical experience. Most evenings bring encounters with an assortment of buskers, drummers and dancers. The city also hosts a large, if ever-changing, calendar of free music events and festivals scattered throughout the year. Some have been around for decades, while others are preparing to launch.